Saturday, December 15, 2012

Thanks
so much, Tinker, for the opportunity to guest blog at your place. I’m
currently in the midst of a blog tour to promote my new novel
TELL THEM I DIED. Amazon has paperback copies listed for 8.99 and an
Amazon Kindle version for $3.99. You can find it also on
BarnesandNoble.com in NOOK version for $3.99. I need reviews to help
generate word-of-mouth buzz and interest in the book.

TELL THEM I
DIED is a romantic adventure that doesn't conform to the usual romance
novel genre in that the protagonists are all over fifty years of age,
retired, and with discretionary time and funds to enjoy life, and online
friends to share every minute. And unlike other romances, much of the
action takes place on the internet on social networking sites. The story
was inspired by the many people I came to know and love over many years
on social networking sites. People who are not online a lot don't
realize how real those long-distance relationships can be. Over all
those years, my online friends have married, had children, divorced,
and some have died. And then there is the travel element. My husband
and I travel a lot, and we share our travel photos with our friends
online. Several friends have suggested that I write a book about my
travels. I think travelogs can be rather boring, but I decided to waeve
some of our adventures into the story.

The main characters of
TELL THEM I DIED are Laura (Screen name: A1QTEE), owner/operator of
Blaq-Kawfee.com, and the men in her life who come in an out of the
social networking scene. There is Laura's number one confidante and
forum moderator, Angela (Screen name: Angelplaits), and her husband
"Bodine." The men in Laura's life, ex-fiance', Jackson (JackDaniels),
Lester (TheGuy), Laura's son, Carlton, and her some-time boyfriend
Harman all present challenges for Angela as she tries to find out what
happened to her dear friend when she gets the news that Laura has died.

I
hope you’ll take the time to check out TELL THEM I DIED and write a
review at Amazon.com or on your blog. It's a light-hearted page-turner
of a story, that my early reviewers have said they hated for it to end.

My tag line: When it comes to long-distance internet romances, sixty is the new seventeen.

Here is an excerpt:

Jackson
hardly knew what day it was. He had been awake over twenty-four hours,
and although he was tired, he knew he still would not sleep soundly. He
showered and dressed so he would be ready for his morning trip to find
Carlton. He set the clock for six a.m. and lay down on the bed fully
clothed. At least he’d had a good meal at Bonita’s house. Now he could
laugh at how ridiculous that scene had been.

Internet
hoochie-mamas. Those girls were so tame online. I never would have
guessed. And Stacey was married. Laura probably had them all figured
out, but Angela was so naïve. What a set-up.

He
slept for a few hours before the alarm rang. This time he drove his
rental car and picked up a cup of black coffee on his way. The built-in
GPS took him to Carlton’s place in a short time. Carlton lived in a
small bungalow on a quiet street. Jackson parked down the block where he
could see Carlton whenever he left. After Angela told him how he lied,
he didn’t want to take a chance on being dodged.

The
front door opened after Jackson had been waiting close to an hour. A
young woman with a toddler emerged. Jackson recognized them as Carlton’s
wife and baby. He had never met them, but had seen photos Laura had
posted on the web. Jackson headed them off before they reached their
car.

“Good Morning, Keisha. I’m so glad I caught you before you got away for the day.”

Keisha didn’t know this man, but she smiled and stopped since he called her name. “Good Morning.”

“We’ve
never met, but I’m Jackson Gooding. I was Laura’s friend. I met
Carlton, but I never met you. I would like to talk to Carlton, if you
don’t mind. Is he in?”

“He goes to work around ten, so he’s not up yet. Why don’t you call him later?”

“I
don’t have his number. Can you give it to me?” Jackson knew how to turn
on the charm. He hoped Keisha would trust him enough to give him the
number. She did. She gave him Carlton’s mobile number and work number.

“Thanks,
Keisha. I know you working moms have to get going in the morning. I
don’t want to make you late.” He helped her with getting the baby into
his car seat, and held her car door while they said goodbye. He didn’t
want her to know he wouldn’t leave until he saw Carlton.

Jackson
settled into his car again. This time he allowed himself to nap until
about nine. He thought by then Carlton would be up and getting dressed.
When he rang the doorbell, he listened for movement inside the bungalow.
He could hear a television and someone approaching the door. Jackson
stepped back, expecting the door to open. He knew Carlton had to be on
the other side of the door watching him through the peephole. When the
door didn’t open, Jackson knocked, and said, “Carlton, it’s me. I know
you’re in there.”

Carlton opened the door, looking down at his feet.

Jackson
extended his hand to shake it. “Hey, man. I’m so sorry about your mom.
When Angela told me, I took the first flight I could get.”

Carlton still stood in the doorway, not motioning for Jackson to come in.

“Can
I come in? I know you have to go to work, so I won’t take too much of
your time.” Carlton let him in, and led him into the kitchen, where
Carlton had been eating a bowl of cereal.

“Tell me what happened. How did she die?” Jackson asked.

GOODREADS GIVEAWAY - January 2013

I am giving away four (4) autographed copies of TELL THEM I DIED through a giveaway administered by Goodreads.com. If you're not already a member of Goodreads, it's easy to join. Go here for the giveaway:

ABOUT THE AUTHORSarah
Gordon Weathersby is the youngest of seven siblings, and the first to
migrate back to the South after living in DC, New Jersey and New York.
She is a retired Information Technology professional who lives in
Raleigh with her husband, and their imaginary dog, Dusty. Sarah is the
author of a memoir, Motherless Child - stories from a life, and publisher of a family saga, The Gordons of Tallahassee, written by her sister LaVerne Gordon Goodridge. Tell Them I Died is her first work of fiction.

You can contact her online at www.sarahweathersby.com http://blogspot.sarahweathersby.com http://www.facebook.com/saraphen And Twitter @saraphen

I appreciate your time and consideration, and I hope you’ll enjoy my novel. Thanks so much, Tinker and friends.